Canada’s Premiers are taking action to improve the flow of trade within Canada. Premiers have expressed a collective commitment to resolve long-standing challenges related to domestic trade barriers.
- In August 2010, Premiers welcomed the agreement by ministers responsible to achieve full labour mobility for financial services and directed that this work be completed by July 1, 2011. Premiers also directed ministers responsible for Internal Trade to reconcile extraprovincial corporate registration and reporting requirements by December 31, 2010 and to consider the AIT’s Person-to-Government Dispute Resolution Mechanism.
- In August 2009, Premiers agreed on a new Agriculture Chapter for the Agreement of Internal Trade to prevent unreasonable use of technical measures to diminsh open trade in agricultural products across Canada. Premiers also initiated a new round of improvements on internal trade.
- In January 2009, Premiers signed, along with the Prime Minister, a Declaration regarding the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT). This declaration contains two key amendments to the existing AIT and marks a significant milestone toward eliminating internal trade barriers and enhancing labour mobility in Canada. The two amendments, which pertain to improved labour mobility and an enhanced dispute resolution mechanism, also mark a significant step towards fulfilling the objectives of the Premier’s five-point plan, established in August 2007, to strengthen domestic trade between the provinces and territories.
Links:
| August 2009 | Premiers Advance Open Trade In Canada |
| January 2009 | Council of the Federation Communiqué |
| July 2008 | Trade: Building on our Strengths in Canada and Abroad |
| August 2007 | Premiers Strengthen Trade |
Background
Provinces and territories, along with the federal government, have been making specific efforts to address internal trade barriers for almost 20 years. In July 1994, Premiers concluded a comprehensive set of negotiations with the signing of the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT). The AIT established a framework of rules to govern internal trade and applied these rules in each of ten areas where interprovincial barriers had been identified. However, there were a number of issues that were not resolved in the agreement and continued negotiations were called for on these issues.
In recent years these negotiations have resumed. At the foundational meeting of the Council of the Federation in December 2003, Premiers identified strengthening the economic union, including enhancing internal trade as a priority area for cooperative intergovernmental action. The Workplan on Internal Trade was approved by the Council of the Federation at their February 24, 2004 meeting. Since then there have been several meetings of ministers, and two progress reports have been released.
For more information about the Agreement on Internal Trade, visit the website of the AIT Secretariat (www.ait-aci.ca).
For more background information, please access the documents below: